An Act to amend and reenact §§ 8.01-338, 24.2-101, 24.2-404, 24.2-409, 24.2-409.1, 24.2-410, 24.2-418, 24.2-427, 53.1-5, 53.1-10, 64.2-2000, and 64.2-2009 of the Code of Virginia; to amend the Code of Virginia by adding sections numbered 24.2-400.1, 24.2-409.2, and 24.2-418.2; and to repeal Chapter 12.1 (§§ 53.1-231.1 and 53.1-231.2) of Title 53.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to voter registration; restoration of political rights upon release from incarceration; certain adjudications.
HB964 revises Virginia law governing voter registration, voting eligibility, and restoration of political rights for people leaving incarceration, while also making related conforming changes across election, corrections, and guardianship statutes. The bill amends definitions and procedures in Title 24.2, adds new sections addressing registration and rights restoration, and repeals an existing chapter in Title 53.1 that previously governed restoration of political rights upon release from incarceration. It also makes related changes to provisions involving certain adjudications and incapacity.
In practical terms, the bill updates how Virginia treats eligibility to vote and related civil rights for individuals affected by felony convictions, incarceration, or certain court adjudications. It also touches juror disqualification and references to incapacitated persons, and it makes conforming amendments to statutes in the corrections and guardianship codes so that the election-law changes align with other areas of state law. The bill was enacted as Chapter 1081 and approved on April 22, 2026.
The bill changes multiple sections of the Code of Virginia to modernize and consolidate rules on voter registration and restoration of political rights after incarceration, while repealing an older statutory chapter on that subject. It affects election administration, the Department of Elections, local electoral boards, and individuals with felony convictions or certain adjudications, and it also creates conforming updates in corrections and guardianship-related provisions.
The available record does not include committee transcripts or recorded votes, so there is no direct evidence of debate or opposition in the provided materials. The bill’s enactment as Chapter 1081 indicates it ultimately received sufficient support to pass and be signed into law. Based on the subject matter, the measure appears to have been treated as a substantive election-law and civil-rights update rather than a procedural or technical bill.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided transcripts or vote history. However, bills involving voter eligibility, restoration of rights after felony conviction, and the treatment of adjudicated incapacitated persons typically raise questions about election integrity, reintegration after incarceration, and the scope of civil rights restoration. Any disagreement would likely center on who should be automatically eligible to register or vote upon release, and how adjudications or disabilities should affect those rights.